Ayrshire at risk of being left behind by broadband speeds

Local MP Corri Wilson has said the UK Government must revise its approach on digital investment as rural areas such as Ayrshire are at real risk of being left behind.

The MP for Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock has welcomed additional investment but is also calling for the UK Government to revise its proposed Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband so that it will encourage providers to “push fibre further”.

Ms Wilson says the government risks seeing investment in high quality fibre networks centred in urban areas while rural areas will be left with speeds that will be “obsolete within a decade”.

She said: “There are really excellent businesses in Ayrshire who need high quality internet connections to compete with urban rivals, but communities across the UK trying to achieve superfast speeds are being backed into a corner due to this Government’s lack of ambition on rural connectivity. Many are unable to fathom why 10 megabits per second is good enough for some in rural areas, when the networks of the future are likely to offer speeds at least ten times as fast.”